Woodlands High School Art Trust set for annual fundraiser

Published 4:39 pm, Sunday, February 10, 2013

The Woodlands High School Art Trust is gearing up for its third annual Palette and Paintings fundraiser Friday in hopes of making it the largest and most successful event for the group.

The event will be at The Woodlands High School, located at 6101 Research Forest Drive, from 6:30-9 p.m. It is free, and residents and students can enjoy an evening of visual and performing arts, representative Susan Cosculluela said. The event also features some hors d’oeuvres and drinks for guests.

“It’s been slowly growing and we’re definitely attracting a wider audience than before,” Cosculluela said. “We’re a small organization and it’s taking a little bit of time to get a hold, but we’ll likely have more palettes than ever to display.”

The fundraiser features a silent auction for 100 artist palettes, painted and crafted into original art pieces by students, faculty, alumni and residents. Attendees can watch the unveiling of five paintings by professional Texas artists, chosen by the TWHS student body from a total of 20. Paintings in the art collection often are shared around the TWHS campus and nearby schools to help promote the arts.

The five paintings selected will not only enter the Art Trusts’ own collection, but 18 of the artists behind the paintings will be available to speak with attendees about their creations.

“This event is more like a gallery settings,” Cosculluela said. “Where the artist is standing right there next to their artwork, and students can ask them questions on their inspiration and how they did it. This is a valuable experience not only for art students but for the community as well.”

Three Woodlands residents have their work featured among the top 20 paintings that were voted on by TWHS students. Liz Hill, Anita Marshall and Charlie Hardwick had work selected to appear in the top 20, among artists from across Texas.

Attendees can bid on a variety of artwork incorporating palettes.

“It’s amazing how these artists view the palettes and what they do to it,” Cosculluela said. “Some have painted on them, others have chopped it up and made it into a sculpture or simply used it as a small part of a bigger sculpture.”

Cosculluela said the Art Trust’s focus is to help promote creativity among the student body through involvement in the arts, as well as organize and maintain a student-purchased art collection.

“Some kids are lucky enough to be exposed to art regularly, whether it be museums or galleries,” Cosculluela said. “But many kids probably don’t go to museums that often or are exposed to it on a daily basis. By displaying these paintings in their schools, these kids will pass by them every day at some point and, whether they know it or not, they’ll be influenced by it in some way.”

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More information about the event and The Woodlands High School Art Trust can be found at www.twhsart.com.